Rose of Tristesse ©
(This poem is a rhyme in my German original!)
Sonja Nic Rafferty
Germany
2004
Five buds shot at the shrub of my spring and summer journey
Five rose buds came into bloom in an extremely original way
The first blossom stood for unshakable faith
The second one aroused our love again and again
No. 3 wanted to give us a colossal hope
But the fourth one a little bit cheekily teased in jealousy
A dewdrop fell out of the fifth one because of tristesse*
The climate of life gently proved today and inhospitably tomorrow
Five buds shot at the shrub of my autumn and winter evening
Five rose buds changed from red to an aging raven's colour
After they were in full blossom of youth's most marvellous splendour
And gave off a sweet scent to us at broad daylight and starry night
From the distance I think at you where frost ordered the blossoms to fall
My favourite shrub now withered and weekly is the barest of all
Unless in the murky light I'm much mistaken only one blossom survived
In my existence the rose of tristesse strives for eternal fame
tristesse (French) = sadness
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